


In a Crowd of Thousands

by stroke_of_genius



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Alternate History, Alternian Empire, Anastasia AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-03-26 14:05:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19007314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stroke_of_genius/pseuds/stroke_of_genius
Summary: A young woman wakes up with no memory of who she is. Nine years later, two con artists convince her that she is the long lost Prospitian princess, Jade Harley.





	1. Prologue | Once Upon a December

**Prospit: April 13, 1917**

 

Jade watches her twin brother pack his suitcase. He’s scrambling around, walking across the golden room back and forth as he throws random articles of clothing into his bag. 

She breaks the silence that has been weighing down on them the past five minutes. “I just don’t see why I can’t go with you to Earth!” 

John looks over at her and rolls his eyes, but doesn’t stop moving. “I already  _ told  _ you; it’s my birthday present to go see my friends, and mom and dad don’t trust both of us to go alone.” 

She huffs and lays down on his bed, sticking out an arm dramatically. “So for your birthday you get to go on a fun adventure, and for mine I get to say goodbye to my brother, who I wont see for months? That doesn’t seem fair.” 

He laughs, then looks around more intently, as if he’s searching for something specific. “Actually, besides getting rid of me, I did get you another present for your birthday.” 

This makes her shoot up on the bed. “Really? I take back all the things I said to mom about you being selfish and dumb. Well, most of them. You’re still not exactly  _ smart  _ and-” 

“Oh, shut up.” John disappears into his closet for a few moments, then reappears with a box. As he approaches her, she can make out foily silvery wrapping paper covered in a print of little frogs. “Happy Birthday to youu, Happy Birthday to youu,” he begins to sing off key, and Jade can’t help a giggle of delight. 

“Happy Birthday dear Jaaade, Happy Birthday to you,” he finishes the song as he hands her the present. It’s horribly wrapped with air bubbles and sloppy creases, but none of that matters as she tears open the paper and the box inside. 

It looks like a jewelry box, round and porcelain with delicate engravings. Jade tries to open it, but it won’t budge. She forces her smile not to falter. “Thanks John! Um, what is it?”

He takes it from her carefully, then turns it over to reveal a peg on the bottom. John turns it, then flips the object back around and clicks a latch. The lid pops open and tinkling music floats from it as three tiny figures of young girls in flowing gowns spin around inside. “It’s a music box,” he says reverently, and begins to sing along to the melody. 

“ _ Far away, long ago _

_ Glowing dim as an ember _

_ Things my heart used to know _

_ Things it yearns to remember _

_ And a song someone sings _

_ Once upon a December" _

The final note of the music box plays, and John closes it. 

Jade stares up in wonder. “That’s the lullaby dad used to sing to us every night when we were kids.”

He nods. “Yeah. I asked one of the royal craftsmen if he could make it for you. Do you like it?”

She tenderly takes the music box from him and sets it down on the bed beside her. Then she jumps up and wraps John in a bear hug. “I love it. You’re the best twin brother, even if you’re leaving me forever.”

He hugs her back for a moment before extracting himself. “Not forever, just a few months. And hey… next time you can come with me, alright? Dave and Rose say Earth is super different from Prospit; there are natural trees and plants everywhere, so you’ll love it.”

“Can we go to one of those tropical islands? With sand and flowers and blue water as far as the eye can see?” 

John smiles. “Of course.”

 

**Prospit: May 11, 1917**

 

It’s in the middle of a ball when the screams begin. Jade turns to try and see what’s wrong, but herself and the rest of her family are immediately surrounded by royal guards, who quickly rush them out of the ballroom and through the twisting halls of the palace. 

Behind her, she hears a gunshot, and jumps. Jake looks back at her and reassures her it’s going to be alright; that she just needs to keep moving. 

More gunshots. Screaming. Shattering glass. She’s lagging behind the group, breathing heavily from fear. Her entire body shakes. It’s too dark and the guards are too focused on moving that they don’t notice when she stops at her bedroom door. The image of her music box, the only real treasure inside, calls to her until she opens the door and runs inside. She’ll be quick. It’ll be fine.

Jade grabs the music box off her dresser then spins around. She’s running for the door when it bursts open and a large male figure silhouettes the frame. 

He has a gun in his hands, and doesn’t hesitate to raise it at her on sight. 

Her fight or flight instinct kicks in and she immediately runs for window, no thought in her head and adrenaline coursing through her veins. 

The last thing she hears is a sound so deafening she thinks the entire world must have ended.


	2. In My Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I basically fuck with all canon history; don't worry about it too much.

**Alternia: 1927**

 

Vriska is sprawled out on an old couch, head in Terezi’s lap, as a human girl stands before them in the middle of a large, run-down entrance hall. She has short dark hair and is reading the words off a script in front of her in a stitled, awkward manner. 

“Oh! My DEAR brother!” she shouts, “I am the long lost princess Jade Egbert-Harley, and I have come to  _ reunite  _ with you! How I have missed you SO tenderly!” The girl lowers her script. “I’m not really an actress, you know.”

Vriska rolls her eyes, inspecting her nails. “Really? I’m shocked.” She feels Terezi’s stomach puff out against her in a laugh. “Look,” Vriska says, sitting up to properly look at the human, “Thanks for coming in and all, but we need someone a little more convincing.” 

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You’re way too tall. And White. Nobody is ever going to believe you’re Jade, especially not her twin brother.” Vriska stands up and motions to the group of girls waiting in the corner, who each auditioned earlier. “That goes for the rest of you too!”  

Vriska points to the door. “The exit is that way ladies. We’ll get back to you if we change our minds.” 

The group walks to the door, grumbling and sending dirty looks to Vriska over their shoulders. One girl stops and turns around to face her, hands on her hips. “You know, what you’re doing here is super illegal, and we could totally report you to the enforcement drones.” 

Terezi scoffs. “Go ahead! Pieces of junk couldn’t do an adequate law enforcement job if their cyborg lives depended on it!” She calls from the couch. 

Vriska turns to her and raises her metal arm in offense. “Hey! Don’t be rude about cyborgs Rez, damn.” 

“Sorry. Remember when you blinded me?” 

“Oh my god for the last time I  _ said  _ I was-”

“You’re both crazy!” The girl who had threatened turning them in shouts. “I’m glad I’m not getting into your little scheme; with you two I’d probably get murdered!” She storms out the door behind the rest of the reject humans. 

“Look what you’ve done,” Vriska says, “You scared them with all your complaints about being blind.”

Terezi snorts and stands up, grabbing her cane off the floor. “Of course. Your yelling had nothing to do with it.”

“Mhm. Don’t know why you’re stating the obvious though.” 

“Have to make sure you’re keeping up with the conversation.” Terezi walks toward her, grin on her face.

“You’re such an asshole,” Vriska says, and pulls Terezi towards her. They breathe together for a moment, bodies pushed against each other, then Vriska leans down and kisses Terezi deeply.

There’s a knock at the large double doors and they startle apart. Vriska’s dice drop into her hand from her strife specibus, and besides her she sees Terezi holding out her cane in an offensive manner, unsheathed to reveal its blade. 

The doors open, and a short human girl walks in. She has dark skin and long, black hair that falls in tight curls down to her waist. 

“Auditions are closed,” Vriska says, sliding her dice into her pocket. 

“Oh! Um, I’m not here for any audition,” the girl says. “I’m looking for Vriska Serket. I was told this was where to find her.” She walks down the hall, staring at the large murals on the walls. She pauses before one featuring tall, golden towers. 

Vriska glances at Terezi, then steps forward. “Why are you looking for her?”

The human girl seems entranced by the mural, and stares at it for a while before answering. “I’m trying to get exit papers.” 

Vriska laughs. “Yeah, good luck. Exit papers cost money.” She pointedly looks over the human’s ragged clothes.

The girl snaps out of her trance and turns towards them. “I have some money saved!”

“Good papers cost more than ‘some money’” Terezi says. “I don’t think we can help you.” 

The human turns back to the mural. She raises a hand to it. “What is this place? It feels… familiar.”

Vriska walks up to the girl, looking up at the mural beside her. “It’s a painting of the capital of Prospit. You’ve probably just seen pictures of it in the past.”

“No… no. I’ve been here.” The girl staggers back, puts a hand to her head. 

“That’s not likely,” Terezi says, walking towards them. “Travel hasn’t been legal to or from Prospit in almost ten years. If you went as a kid, I can’t imagine you’d forget it.” 

“I don’t- I don’t know.” The girl stumbles, and Terezi reaches out a steadying hand. 

“Fantastic,” Vriska says, “We’ve got a crackhead in our base.” 

“I’m not so sure,” Terezi says quietly. “Vriska, could you get her some water? Bread too.”

Vriska grumbles, “This isn’t a homeless shelter,” but walks off toward the kitchen. 

Terezi and her had set up base here a few months ago. It used to be the old embassy for Prospit diplomats, but had been abandoned since the golden planet was colonized by the Condesce a decade ago. Things had changed in Alternia since then. It was never exactly the perfect place to live, but since Prospit fell, regulation on travel had gotten increasingly strict and the amount of enforcement drones had grown exponentially. Whenever she walked on the streets, it always felt as if everything was holding its breath. 

The embassy itself is a relic, a museum piece filled with allusions of old beauty. Torn banners hang from the walls and lay across the ground, the rugs are filled with holes, paint chips from the molding, and outdated wallpaper peels. 

Vriska pushes open the door to the kitchen, which against all odds has running water. She pulls a cracked glass from the cabinet and fills it with tap water from the sink. She holds the glass in front of her and watches the water. Things were different, once. She used to live in a big house, with everything she could ever want. But it had been a long time since then. 

She grabs a slice of bread, then walks back to the front of the hall, water in hand. Vriska looks around again. It wasn’t living in luxury, sure, but then again, she’d lived in far, far worse. 

She reaches the Prospit mural and sees the human girl and Terezi both on the ground, the former sleeping in the latter’s lap. It’s cute for a moment, until a sharp strike of jealousy turns Vriska’s stomach. Terezi was rarely so soft on people, especially strangers. 

She holds up the glass and bread, even though Terezi can’t see. “Looks like someone won’t be able to get their handouts.” Vriska can’t help the note of bitterness in her voice. 

“I think she can be our Jade.”

“What? You’re joking.”

Terezi turns her head to Vriska. “She said her name is Jay, and that she doesn’t remember anything before waking up at a hospital nine years ago. Does she look the part?”

Vriska looks down at Jay. Her dark curls halo her face, and her sleeping form shows off her long eyelashes and regal features. She feels her breath catch in her throat. “Yeah. Perfectly.”

She sits down next to Terezi on floor, and rests her head on the other girl’s shoulder, which has  _ nothing  _ to do with wanting to remind her who her matesprite is. “You really think we can do this?” 

“Have I ever mislead you?” 

“Fair. Think we can convince her?” 

Terezi lifts a curl of Jay’s hair with a finger. “I think it’ll be more convincing her that she  _ is  _ the princess as opposed to pretending to be but…” She drops the curl. 

“Everyone, deep down, wants to be special.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus begins my new fic! I became obsessed with this idea a few days ago, and had to write it. This AU is based very heavily on the Broadway version of Anastasia, and I'm basically using its script as my outline. The script totals about 16k words, so I'd estimate this story will total at least that much. Thanks for reading, and please leave kudos/comments if you enjoyed!


	3. Learn to Do it

She dreams in fragments. They remind her of watching a play, except she’s in the wings and trying to see the stage through a hand mirror. Some faces _feel_ clear but look hazy, while others are just blank slates. Sound seems to creep in most often. Yelling. Gunshots. Music. Arms from someone much bigger than she wrap around her and kiss her forehead. It is so, incredibly cold.

**Alternia: March, 1927**

 

“Absolutely not!” Jay exclaims, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry, but I asked you how to get out of Alternia, not how to trick someone into thinking I’m a princess.”

“They’re the same thing!” Vriska says impatiently.

Terezi taps her fingers on the worn dining table. “Why do you want to go to Earth so badly to begin with? I thought you said you don’t have any memories prior to Alternia.”

“I don’t!” Jay says, tilting her chair back. “I want to leave for the same reasons everyone else does: so I don’t get carted away in the middle of the night to who-knows-where while everyone just looks the other way.”

Terezi leans forward. “Sure, but why Earth? There are other planets in the galaxy that the Alternian Empire hasn’t conquered. I mean, Earth is fine but,” She points in Vriska’s direction, off by about a foot, “Vriska: is it sexy?”

Vriska shakes her head solemnly. “Barely.”

“Exactly.”

“Oh my god.” Jay lifts her hands to her face, and for a second Vriska hopes her chair falls back, but then Jay grounds herself with a _thud_ of feet against marble. “Fine. I don’t have any clear memories, honest, but sometimes I get… dreams. And feelings. Something in me just knows I have to get to Earth!

“You guys seem super cool, if a little strange, really. But I can’t lie about something so big, especially to some poor boy who lost his sister.” She pushes her dining chair out and stands up.

Vriska gets out of her own chair and blocks her way. “But what if it’s not lying?”

“What?” Jay laughs uncomfortably. “You can’t be serious.”

“Think about it: you’re an amnesiac whose memory just so happens to black out around the time Prospit was invaded.”

“A coincidence.”

“You share a striking resemblance with Princess Jade, the only rumored potential survivor, and the Prince. Just a painting of Prospit, a place you feel strongly you’ve been to before, makes you faint. This is more than just coincidence.” Damn, Vriska was even starting to convince herself now. She was _good_.

Jay seems to hesitate. “I mean… I couldn’t possibly…”

“Look,” Vriska places a hand on Jay's shoulder, “Here’s how I see it: best case scenario, you’re a long lost princess who gets to reunite with her brother and all three of us get off Alternia. Worst case scenario, John will be able to tell you’re not his sister and us three still get to have a lovely permanent vacation on Earth. Either way, it’s a better outcome than sticking around here until the executor drones track us down.”

There are a few seconds of silence, and Vriska holds her breath. Finally, Jay nods. “I... guess you’re right.” She looks down at herself. “But who would ever believe I’m a princess? Even if I actually am one, which I’m still not totally convinced about!”

“That’s where I come in!” Terezi says, standing up and walking over to them. “I went to Legislature School back in the day, and for whatever reason there was a whole class on royal etiquette. Had to make sure we curtsied properly before licking the boots of bureaucrats, I guess. We can also break out some history textbooks to see if anything jogs your memory.”

Vriska realizes she still has her hand on Jay’s shoulder and drops it, embarrassed. Not a second later Terezi puts her arms around both of them, grinning like mad. “So long as nobody fucks up, this is going to be a great time!”

Vriska wiggles out of her grip and ducks underneath her arm, taking a few steps back. But now Terezi just has one arm slung around Jay, who smiles at her. Great. “Where should we start, Rez? Probably something simple; you don’t want to scare off the newbie right away.”

“Hmmmm,” Terezi says in a tone that Vriska knows all too well and fills her with dread. “Hmmmmmm,” She says again, but this time holds it out until it takes on a song-like quality, and turns it into a hummed waltz. Jade begins to sway to the music, despite Terezi’s scratchy and pitchy singing voice.

Terezi abruptly stops, then drags Jay with her out of the dining room and towards the entrance hall. Over her shoulder she shouts, “We dance!” before disappearing from view.

Vriska stands there, out of sight, and smiles. This whole scheme, and Terezi especially, is ridiculous and _fuck_ is it going to be a blast to try and pull off.

Music floats in from the next room, and Vriska takes this as her cue to walk out into the foyer.

There, Terezi is adjusting Jay’s posture and barking out some directions. She does an example curtsy then motions for Jay to try.

Jay takes a step, grabs her long skirt, and in one fluid motion does a flawless curtsy.

Vriska claps, approaching them and the record player Terezi has set up. “Not bad, Jay. Looks like we have a natural on our hands.”

Terezi holds up a finger. “You must address her using her _proper_ name from now on, V.”

“Oh I really don’t think that’s-”

Vriska interupts her. “My deepest apologies, _Princess Jade_.”

Jay—or, Jade—blushes deeply. “Ah, um, well.”

“The Princess has decided to show mercy! You are forgiven, commoner,” Terezi says with a dramatic flourish of her arm. “To express your gratitude, lead her in a dance!”

“Terezi, you know full well I have no fucking idea how to ballroom dance. Who do you think I am?”

“The only other person besides Jade who can see in this room.”

“I can only _half_ see,” Vriska says, adjusting her eyepatch for emphasis, “So my depth perception is kind of shot. I really think it’d be better if you just-”

“Shut up for just one second. Alright. Well, if you want something done right…” Terezi walks up to Vriska and moves her hands so that one is resting on Terezi’s waist and the other is clasping her hand. “You’re taller than both Jade and I, so you lead.” She walks Vriska through the basic steps, but too soon steps away and pushes her towards a sheepish looking Jade. “Now go.”

Vriska can’t meet Jade’s eyes as she takes her hand and waist. Terezi restarts the record, and Vriska waits a few measures to feel the rhythm. Then she tries taking her first step forward. It’s stiff, and they’re late to the second beat. They continue to fumble awkwardly around, until Vriska accidentally steps on Jade’s foot.

“SHIT!” Jade yells, and glares at Vriska, like she was _trying_ to hurt her or something.

“What? You didn’t move fast enough.”

They start back up with the music, but after a few counts Jade _very_ intentionally kicks Vriska in the shin.

“Hey! What the fuck! Terezi did you just see that?”

“No Vriska, actually, I didn’t.”

“Right. Sorry.”

Terezi laughs. “Are you guys dancing as bad as you sound?”

Before Vriska can answer, Jade pipes up. “Probably worse!” Vriska elbows her side, hard. Jade lets out a grunt, then immediately elbows her right back. Vriska tries not to wince, but _damn_ that girl has some strength hidden somewhere beneath her loose blouse.

Terezi walks over and positions the trio so that they are all clasping hands in the ballroom dance form, but Jade is sandwiched between the two trolls on either side holding her waist.

“This is ridiculous,” Vriska says, but is shushed by Terezi. The trio stumble and almost fall over their first few steps, but they eventually find an awkward rhythm. They pick up the pace, half skipping and half dancing around the room, laughing as they cling to one another.

At some point Terezi lets go, and Vriska has no idea how or why, but having her dance with them _did_ help, and she finds it much easier now to move with Jade than before. There is still occasional fumbling or stubbed toes, but they mostly get the hang of it.

Vriska twirls her around, and Jade lets out a shriek of delight as her long hair and skirt blow out at the motion. _If anyone is going to secretly be a princess, it’s this girl_ , Vriska thinks.

The music cuts out, and the pair pull apart. Vriska leans against the wall, catching her breath. Who knew dancing could be so tiring?

“That’s fine for today, girls,” Terezi says from the record player. She’s putting the vinyl back into its case, revealing that the music they had been dancing to was from something called _GRUBZ BOP: VOLUME II._ “Okay progress for day one.” She smiles. “See you tomorrow, Jade. Don’t get arrested before then; there aren’t many good spare princesses around here.”

“Oh, yeah.” Jade says, looking at the ground. She opens her mouth to say something, then closes it. Open. Close. Open. Close.

“Oh my god!” Vriska says, “Just say it!”

Jade cringes. “I know this is a lot to ask, but are there any spare rooms here? It just seems like a big place and I’m sort of, uh, homeless right now.” She wrings her hands together.

“Do you snore?” Terezi asks.

“...Yes.”

“Good. We need something to keep the rats away at night.”

Jade perks up, either not hearing or ignoring Terezi’s rat comment. “Really? Thank you so much! I promise I won’t be a bother, and I can cook and clean or whatever else.”

Vriska puts up a hand. “Just do everything we tell you to in lessons, and you’re fine. Choose any room besides the one Rez and I are in, and I’ll come bring you a cushion and blanket.”

Jade gives a little salute. “On it, chief!”

 

**Alternia: April 1927**

 

Terezi puts her hands on the desk Jay sits at and leans is. “What was your childhood pet?”

Jay resists the urge to look down at the history book in front of her and racks her brain for the answer. “A large white Samoyed named Becquerel, but I called him Bec for short.”

“Correct. Besides your brother, who were you closest with?”

“My grandpa; he taught me how to hunt.”

“Good. You’re getting better, finally! Just took using some of those leafy brain cells to get there, huh?”

Leafy? Vriska was pretty easy to figure out, but Jay is still confounded by Terezi. One minute she would be licking her fingers and rambling about stuffed toys, then the next she would recount the minutiae of Alternian law.

Terezi pushes off from the desk. “Alright, final question for today. If you get this one right, you don’t have to study until tomorrow.”

Jay sits up, hopeful. God, she is so _tired_ of studying. All these dumb facts, names, and dates just slide right out of her mind. She never feels more foolish than when she rereads a single passage about her supposedly own history a million times without retaining any of it. “Hit me with your best shot!”

“What instrument did you play?”

What. Did she learn that? She can’t remember a single thing about Jade playing instruments. Jade had been very into science; were there any science-y instruments? “Piano?” She guesses.

“WRONG!” Vriska shouts from across the room, laying on the ground and shaking—was that a magic eight ball?

Maybe it’s because she’s hungry, tired, and her brain feels like it’s about to catch fire, but something about Vriska’s tone rubs Jay the wrong way. “You don’t have to be so mean about it!”

Vriska freezes, then slowly lowers her magic eight ball to the ground and stands up. “Mean?” She fake laughs. “You think that was mean? That was just the truth, babe, but I can _show_ you mean.” Her eyes narrow.

Terezi puts up a hand. “Enough flirting, Vriska. It’s indecent! In front of your own matesprit and everything!” The tips of Vriska’s ears go blue and she begins sputtering, but doesn’t talk over Terezi as she continues. “Tragically, Vriska is correct. The answer was double bass. Maybe next time!” She stands up and walks to a bookshelf against the wall, pulling out a large history textbook. She carries it back to Jay and drops it on the desk atop the other book. “Back to studying.”

Jay groans, and puts her face down on the cover of the book. Maybe if she falls asleep here, she won’t have to study.

“You’re being kind of a loser about all this, you know,” Vriska says, voice coming from near the desk.

Jay doesn’t move. “Sorry. I’ll get back to work in a bit just. Give me a moment.”

“‘Sorry?’” Vriska huffs. “That’s how you respond? You mope around all the time because _oh no,_ you have to _read_ , and then you won’t even stick up for yourself? No one will ever believe you’re a princess with that kind of attitude.”

“Well I’m not a princess!” Jay lifts her head. “Even if I used to be, I don’t remember any of that now. I’m not royalty, or important, I’m just some girl playing pretend in a crumbling castle and working herself to death as a street sweeper!” She stands up. “So _excuse me_ if I’m a little tired sometimes.

“I don’t have to do this, you know. I could be using all this time and energy to work a second job. At least then I’d actually be paid! But no. Because I’m an idiot and let myself get sucked in by some conwomen with illusions of grandeur, I spend all my free time with these fucking books!” She picks up one of the textbooks on the desk and throws it on the ground. “I quit! It’s too much!”

When did she start crying?

Terezi grabs Vriska by the arm and drags her towards the end of the room. Of course. Jay had shown how weak she really is, had dropped out. They were probably talking about whether or not they should kill her.

The two come back to her side of the room, Vriska staring at the floor. Terezi adjusts her coat. “Since you can’t learn well by reading, we’re going to change things up.”

Jay furrows her eyebrows. “What?”

“I mean, if you weren’t joking about quitting, then there’s the door,” Terezi points in the opposite direction of the doorway, which Jay is pretty sure is intentional at this point. “But if you were just throwing a tantrum, then congratulations! Vriska accidentally made you really talk to us for the first time ever, and this is us listening to you. Something something teamwork blah blah who cares.”

Terezi puts a hand on Vriska. “Mind go getting the blackboard?”

“Just give me a minute to look for it.” She says, then jogs off.

Jay looks at Terezi. “Sorry about my outburst.”

Terezi frowns. “You want to know something about Vriska? A lot of what comes out of her mouth is wrong. As in, like, factually incorrect. But beneath all the bullshit, there’s usually something true. It’s said in the worst possible way, but still true.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“No reason. My point is: apologize less. Take after Vriska and be a little too overconfident if you have to.”

Jay doesn’t respond right away. She takes a moment, thinks it over. “Okay. I’ll do my best.”

Terezi nods, and the sound of wheels echoes down the hall. A moment later, a large blackboard wheels into view, pushed by Vriska. She brings it up to Terezi, then stomps her foot against the wheel’s latch, locking it into place. “One blackboard for you, Rez, complete with seven different colors of chalk.”

“Excellent! Thank you, my humble assistant.”

Vriska rolls her eyes, but steps back as Terezi approaches the board and picks up a piece of chalk. She brings it to her nose, sniffs it, shakes her head, puts it back down. She repeats this process two more times until she gets to the green chalk. She grins upon smelling it, then begins quickly scribbling names and random words on the blackboard, writing in even, spaced out rows, so that none of the words overlap.

Then, almost like a detective connecting evidence with pieces of string, she draws circles around certain names and words and draws lines between them. Jay has no idea how she remembers where everything is without seeing the board, but after a minute or so Terezi does ask Vriska where the word “garden” is, which Vriska responds to by taking her hand and placing it over the word.

Once everything on the board is connected with green chalk, Terezi turns around to face Jay. “Sit down. It’s time for your first _real_ lesson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is maybe my favorite project I've ever worked on, and I hope you enjoyed it! Comments & kudos always appreciated <3  
> (Also, Vriska and Jade aren't going to be black endgame I swear.)


	4. The Neva Flows

**Alternia: January 1927 (Three Months Prior to the Trio Meeting)**

Jay is completing her normal rounds sweeping the dark streets of Alternia’s capitol. The roads are barren besides the occasional pedestrian walking quickly past, arms crossed and head down. If she ever had any history schooling, she doesn’t remember it, but the wide lanes suggest there was once busy traffic through these parts. As far back as she remembers, people have always been too afraid to leave their homes.

Then again, maybe it’s not that fear has gone up so much as population has gone down. But what does she know? Those thoughts sound a lot like treason, and she needs to keep as low a profile as possible to survive.

A gunshot sounds, from some far off alley, and she screams. The broom slips from her fingers.

There are people everywhere, surrounding her, suffocating her. It’s dark and she’s running. She can’t see her parents. Where is her brother? She’s panting, and looking for something desperately. She _must_ find it. A gun is pointed at her and oh god oh no her stomach hurts so badly and there is blood everywhere and she’s dying. She is dying and nobody is there to hold her.

But the ground beneath her is not carpet, it is rough stone, and suddenly Jay is back in the present. She is lying on the street, breathing deeply, clutching her stomach. Where is she? Alternia. Her cheeks are wet with tears.

“Are you alright, miss?” A concerned, feminine voice asks her.

Jay looks up, and there is a troll crouched near her. She is in the uniform of a high-ranking Alternian military officer, and the fuchsia tassels on her epaulets denote her royal blood.

Jay sits up quickly, wiping the tears from her face. “I’m fine. Thank you.” _Polite but not too friendly,_ _respectful but not cold_ , she tells herself. She can not get arrested now after lasting so many years.

“You shore?” The troll reaches out her hand, then seems to think better and puts it down. “There’s a cafe really close by, I could bring you.” The troll drags out the “E” in “really,” but the emphasis doesn’t feel intentional. If Jay had to guess, the troll’s typing quirk in youth probably had something to do with it. Habits like those tend to seep into trolls’ everyday speech patterns, which she always found interesting.

The officer tilts her head. Oh, right. She asked about a cafe. “Oh no! I’m okay, honest. I appreciate the concern though, officer.”

The troll waves a hand. “No need for formalities! Just call me Feferi.”

“Um. Sorry. Officer Feferi.”

Feferi rolls her eyes, but her smile never falters. “Can you sand?”

“What?”

“Stand. Can you stand?”

Jay feels around the ground. Slowly, she stands up, using her broom as a crutch. “See? I’m fine. You really don’t need to worry, ma’am.”

Feferi cringes. “ _Ma’am_! That makes me sound so old.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings-”

“Oh my cod! I have thicker scales than that. I’m tougher than I look.” She winks.

Jay has no idea what’s going on. Trolls were peculiar, but this was especially strange. “I need to get back to work.”

She turns to leave, but Feferi grabs her shoulder and looks directly into her eyes. She’s still grinning, but there’s something dark in her expression. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

Jay grips the handle of her broom. “I can’t lose this job; they’re not easy to come by these days.”

Feferi releases her shoulder and nods. “A loyal worker for the Empire. I’ll sea you around!” She waves a hand and begins to stroll down the otherwise empty street.

Jay doesn’t breath until she’s out of sight.

 

**Alternia: May, 1927**

Jay is heading back to the embassy from a grocery trip, bag slung over her shoulder, when she feels someone come up behind her.

A hand covers her eyes, but before she can scream, another covers her mouth and sticks a cloth in it. She feels her wrists being bound by a second person, but she’s fighting slipping into unconsciousness.

She feels so, so tired.

She wakes up in an office chair, moonlight filtering in from floor to ceiling windows. She blinks her eyes, making them focus, and sees that through the glass is a breathtaking cityscape of the capitol. She never considered Alternia a beautiful place, but the way the pink moonlight shines off the hundreds of multicolored spires and skyscrapers makes her breath catch.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” a familiar voice rings out near her.

Jay turns in her seat, and realizes she is on one side of a desk made of rich wood. Opposite her is the officer that had found her after one of her… episodes a few months back. Feferi, if she remembers correctly.

“What’s going on?” She asks, panicked.

“Don’t worry!” Feferi says. “You’re probably fine, but we have to take every report of treason seriously.”

Jay’s blood runs cold. “Treason?”

“Yeah, some girls came in here yammering on about some silly plot going down at the abandoned embassy to pretend you’re Jade Harley.” Feferi folds her hands on the desk and looks into Jay’s eyes. “You know, you’re really too old for roleplay games, Jay.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That’s good to hear!” Feferi smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I thought it sounded fishy. Good to know it’s nothing more than a rumor!”

Jay feels sweat roll down her neck. “Can I go now, officer?”

Instead of answering, Feferi stands up. “Did you know the Condesce is my direct ancestor? Because of our blood and some other magic shenanigans, she still looks not much older than myself. But she was there for the conquering of every planet in the Alternian Empire.”

She looks at Jay. “She killed the Prospitian royal family herself. An honor for them, some might say. In recent decades, she mostly lets her underlings handle the dirty work.” Feferi walks over and places a hand on Jay’s shoulder. “I was there that night, waiting outside while it all happened. No one got away. Trust me.

“After the final shots and screams… there was the heaviest silence you can imagine. It was as if the crickets and owls themselves knew what had just happened. She told me afterwards it would be my job one day, to follow in her footsteps.” Feferi walks up to the glass wall and looks out at the city below. “So understand me, Jay, when I say to stop this foolishness. For your own good.”

Silence.

Feferi looks back at her. “You can go. Sorry for the rough handling to get you here! Soldiers don’t really understand the meaning of subtlety.”

Shaking, Jay stands up and quickly walks out of the office, only seeing the shoes of the guards posted outside.

She keeps going until she finds a stairway. Feferi’s words play over and over in her mind as she descends, the footfalls against stairs matching the frantic rhythm of her heart.

Still, despite what she’d been told, Jay knows the safest thing for her future is to get out of Alternia. Today did nothing but prove that.

And there was something more. Being Jade Harley… it felt _right._ It fit. And nobody was going to take away her first chance at answers.

 

* * *

 

 

Vriska walks side by side with Jade and Terezi through the capitol. They twist through alleys and back roads, tall buildings looming over them. The last thing they need is to be caught on the streets by an enforcement drone.

“So she knew who we were and where we’re staying?” Vriska asks. Jade nods. “Fuck. It must’ve been those girls we rejected who ratted us out; they’re the only other ones who knew.”

They turn into a wider alley, and there are two men sitting on trash cans and smoking cigarettes. Unfortunately, Vriska recognizes them on sight.

Terezi sniffs the air and recoils. “It smells like rotten fish.”

“That’s Eridan and Cronus,” Vriska says, disgust in her voice. She _hates_ these losers. Her and Eridan had been friends, somewhat, back in the day. He had been in crime for a cheap thrill; something to pass the time instead of sitting in his underwater mansion all day. She’s mortified they were ever acquaintances.

“Hey now, is that any way to talk to an old friend, Vris?” He asks, his voice nasally and thick with a highblood accent. Judging by his appearance, not much has changed since they were kids.

“Do you guys hear something?” Vriska turns to Terezi and Jade with mock confusion. “I swear I can hear the faintest noise of… oh what’s that… Some little bitch? How strange!”

“There’s no need to be fuckin’ rude,” Eridan says, throwing his cigarette on the ground. “How ‘bout you apologize to me by introducing us to your lovely lady friends?”

“No thanks.” Jade says. “Let’s go.”

“Now wait jus’ a minute, dame!” Cronus pushes himself off the wall and blocks her way, towering over her. “Lemme see a smile, at least.” He reaches down and squeezes her face.

There’s a faint _click_ and a rifle appears in Jade’s hands, the butt pointed squarely into Cronus’ stomach.

Sweet. Vriska knew she liked her for a reason.

Cronus raises both his hands above his head. “Whoa whoa whoa! Now is that any way for a gal to say hello?” Something resembling a wand materializes in his right hand, and he points it at Jade.

Vriska retrieves her Fluorite Octet dice from her Strife Specibus and immediately rolls them as Terezi unsheathes her cane.

Her eye is trained from years of experience to quickly read the numbers of each roll. 2-7-6-8-1-8-8-9. She smiles. She can work with that.

Sunglasses pop on her face as an incredibly bright glowing sword drops into her hand. Eridan shouts, covering his eyes with an arm. A shot from Ahab’s Crosshairs goes wild, and the sound of glass shattering rings out behind them.

“Don’t look back here until I give my word!” Vriska shouts to Jade. Then she strolls up to Eridan, who’s flailing his speargun around with his eyes closed. She raises her blade, intercepting the gun, and twists her hands. Ahab’s Crosshairs goes flying out of Eridan’s grip and lands near Terezi, who immediately smashes her two cane-blades into it.

A gunshot sounds, and Vriska looks over near Jade. Cronus’ wand is on the ground and he’s clutching a bloodied hand, tears streaming down his face.

Eridan dashes in Vriska’s direction, eyes closed, but she raises her sword to his neck, stopping him in his tracks. “Now,” Vriska says, “That sure was unnecessary, huh! Look at you two. It’s embarrassing, really. But if you just go limp off to the side quietly, we’ll leave you to your pathetic lives in peace. You following me?”

Instead of answering, Eridan says, “God Vris, you still talk like a kid all these years later. I guess you really were too far gone back then.”  

“Well, I’m the one with a sword to your throat, so I recommend you shut the fuck up!” Vriska says.

Terezi places a hand on her shoulder. “He’s just trying to rile you up; don’t listen to him.”

Vriska rolls her eyes. “I _know,_ Terezi. I can handle this without a pep talk.”

Terezi retracts her hand. “Are you seriously trying to start an argument with me right now? Here, of all places?”

“Um guys?” Jade calls back, eyes and gun still trained on Cronus. “I think we should just go.” She stomps on the wand near her foot, snapping it in two. Cronus flinches at the noise. Vriska can’t believe she took these guys seriously for even a moment.

She captchalogues her sword, turning it back to dice in the process. Terezi keeps her blades trained on Eridan. Slowly, Vriska backs up towards Jade. “Don’t you even _dare_ try anything,” she says to the sea dwellers.

A moment later, Terezi, Vriska, and Jade are all standing next to each other, cautiously watching the alley. Vriska feels Jade grab onto her arm and before she can protest, the three girls are dashing down the alleyway.

They run for a solid few minutes, twisting through side streets and making sharp turns until they burst out into an open street. A little further up is a large bridge going over an estuary.

Jade turns to Vriska. “How do you even know those guys?”

“It’s a long, boring story.” She holds out the “O” in “boring,” to make sure Jade understands just how incredibly _uninteresting_ her childhood with Eridan was, so that she won’t press further.

The sky is just beginning to lighten. Sunrise is probably an hour or so away. “We need to go.” Vriska says. “Now.”

Terezi begins walking, then turns back and says, “Come on! You just gonna let a blind girl walk into a wall? The disrespect!”

With a shared look and a sigh, Vriska and Jade follow after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Eridan and Cronus as cartoon gangster villains was way too fun. Also my apologies for making Feferi an antagonist; I know she deserves better. Comments & Kudos always appreciated!


	5. My Petersburg

_ Everything hurts horribly and she can’t remember who she is or how she got here, but she’s sure that this is death. Whatever underworld she’s in must have an exit, though, because hands reach down into it and pull her out. They’re bone white and hard—maybe hand isn’t the right word so much as claw—but she can’t find it within herself to protest as they pick her up and a voice whispers something into her hair. A feminine voice, she thinks, a responsible one. Like a mom, or an aunt. There’s an accent to it though, something thick and foreign. Almost peregrine in nature.  _

 

* * *

**Alternia: June 6, 1927**

Sometimes, when everything’s too much and Terezi is busy, Vriska is forced alone with her thoughts. She found that laying in bed staring at a wall only made it worse—made her go crazy until she lashed out by punching a wall or throwing things—and eventually discovered the one place where she could tolerate herself: the roof. 

Vriska sits on a thin blanket covering the uneven shingles, looking out at the city. The green moon is high today, and streetlamps cast further light onto the barren roads. It’s a ghost town; a place that barely resembles the energetic, bustling city of her youth. 

She wants to leave. She wants to stay. It’s not exactly a home, but it’s the closest thing she’s ever really had. 

There’s noise behind her, and she turns toward it. Jade clambers onto the roof from Vriska’s ladder a minute later, glasses askew. She sees Vriska and smiles. “Hey! I was wondering if you were up here. Terezi is looking for you; she needs your help with something.”

Vriska turns back to look out at the city as Jade slowly walks over and sits beside her, cautious of slipping on the shingles. “Tell her I’ll be down in a couple minutes.”

“I don’t really feel like running all the way back when I just got here; I’ll just go back when you do.” Jade taps her feet on the blanket. “Whatcha up to?”

“Nothing. Just thinking.”

“That’s new.”

“Can you shut up for once?” Vriska says, but the bite she means to put into it doesn’t come through. She just sounds kind of… sad. And pathetic. She  _ hates  _ sounding like that. 

“Are you okay?” Jade asks, with genuine concern in her voice, and something about it pierces Vriska. Because Jade didn’t hear the insult, she heard what was under it, and for whatever reason she seems to actually  _ care _ . It reminds Vriska of someone. 

“I’m always okay! I just wanted to be left alone!” Vriska snaps, because she’s still not good with emotions and especially not good when they’re directed at people who aren’t Terezi. But she huffs, lays back, and before Jade can (maybe a little rightfully) get mad at her, she says, “I just don’t know how we’re gonna get out.” 

Jade lays down next to her. “What do you mean? I thought we had the whole plan figured out.”

“We have the  _ plan,  _ just not the funds. It’s like I told you that first day: papers are expensive. All three of us need fake ids and tickets for people who would be allowed off of this hell planet, and I have no clue how we’re supposed to afford it.”

Jade is on her side now, staring at Vriska in horror. “B-but I work! I have some money! Surely we can figure something out-”

“No.” Vriska interrupts. “We need a miracle to get out of here.” Her fists clench and jaw sets as Jade’s eyes betray her heartbreak. All she wants is a normal goddamn life! Couldn’t Vriska have that, after all the bad hands life had dealt her? 

Tears of frustration well in Vriska’s eye and her breathing is heavy. “FUCK!” She picks up a pebble off the roof and hurls it as hard as she can. 

Vriska watches as the pebble shrinks quickly in the distance and disappears from view. She sighs in defeat, lays back down, and closes her eye. 

They stay there for a while, silence weighing down on them. 

“Hey, uh, Vriska?” Jade says. 

Vriska barely cracks her eye open in response.

“I… might have a miracle.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jade digs around in her pocket for a moment, then takes out something small and glittering. 

Vriska snatches it from her immediately, ignoring Jade’s cry of protest as she holds it up to her eye to inspect it. 

The object looks like perfect diamond. There isn’t a scratch or uneven line on it. Vriska looks up at Jade, shock almost rendering her speechless. Almost. “How the hell did you get this?”

Jade swipes her hand to take it back, but Vriska moves it out of the way, her arm a good few inches longer than the short girl’s. Jade huffs. “It was sewn into my clothes when I woke up from whatever caused my amnesia. Luckily the nurses were kind and told me about it, but I remember them saying to hide it, always carry it, and only ever show someone if I absolutely had to and completely trusted them.

“You’re the first person I’ve told, though,” Jade narrows her eyes at where Vriska is dangling the diamond above her, “maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to trust.”

Reluctantly, Vriska gives it back to her. “You should’ve told us about it sooner. You could’ve saved me a  _ lot  _ of trouble.”

“Oh yeah, tell two conwomen about my most valuable possession, how could that ever possibly go wrong? You’re completely right,  _ I’m  _ the problem here.” 

“Holy shit, you’re intolerable.” Maybe it’s the high altitude or just the overwhelming sense of relief, but something comes over Vriska then, and she takes Jade in a tight embrace. “Thank you,” she whispers.

Jade is frozen for a moment, but hugs her back, and Vriska would never admit it, but it feels nice against the cold. But Vriska quicky comes to her senses and pulls back, clearing her throat. “This should be able to get us to Earth.” 

“Good,” Jade says. “Just promise you and Terezi won’t run off with it in the middle of the night.”

Vriska smiles. “No promises, but I think the three of us are in this for the long haul.”

Jade pulls her knees up against her stomach. “Is it bad that I’m a little scared?” She asks quietly. 

Vriska’s first instinct is to make fun of her, but for once in her life she bites her tongue. “Nah. I… I’m scared to leave Alternia too. This is all I’ve ever known.” Vriska glances down at the city. “Which is kind of depressing, if you think about it.” 

She points to a spot in the distance. “That’s where Terezi and I ran a gambling street game scam for months and,” Vriska moves her hand, “that’s where we kissed for the first time. My whole life is here, or near here. Like, fuck Eridan right, but on Earth I’m not going to have any old friends or rivals to run into. I’m just going to be… nobody.” 

“Hey,” Jade says, “You  _ will  _ be somebody. You’ll be the hero who returned the long lost princess!”

Vriska smiles. “I guess you’ve got a point. Not sure how long I’ll stick around, though. I, of course, would love to be decorated and adored by all as I deserve, but Terezi wants to abscond as quickly as possible and go hide out on some private island with our riches.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that.”

“Mhm. Don’t worry though; you’ll be more than fine. You’ll have your brother and hundreds of adoring people and so much money you won’t know what to do with it. If I could pass for human I’d switch places with you in a heartbeat.”

“Even if it meant leaving Terezi?”

Vriska throws her arms in the air. “You can’t just ask me questions like that! I lose either way! No matter what I say I’ll look like either a bitch or a sap. 

“But,” she whispers conspiratorially, “Between you and me, I’d find a way to escape with both Terezi  _ and  _ the money in the true Serket way.” 

“Of course.” There’s another lull as Jade stares up at the sky, her eyes glazed over and green moonlight twisting the shadows of her face.

“You good?” Vriska asks, and Jade seems to snap out of her stupor.

“What? Yeah.” Jade rubs a piece of her hair between her fingers. “Do you ever have like… super realistic dreams?”

“Sure. Who doesn’t?”

“I don’t mean like lucid dreaming or whatever, but… fragments of memories. Things you’re sure happened but have no recollection of.”

“Uhhh I think that’s an amnesia thing.”

Jade frowns. “I thought that might be the case.”

“What’re your dreams of?”

“I’m not completely sure. Sometimes things, like loud noises or blood, will send me into a sort of, um, attack, and I’ll get flashbacks. Or, I think they’re flashbacks. My point is: I think the dreams and the flashbacks are all about the same event. 

“I remember a dark hallway. Voices and gunshots. This incredible,  _ terrible  _ pain. But above everything else, there’s this desperation, a frantic  _ need  _ to find something and someone. I’ve always dismissed it; I never wanted to face what it meant or what happened to me before I forgot everything. It was a sort of ignorance is bliss situation, you know? But ever since I started becoming Jade Harley I can’t help but think of what you said to me in that dining room. That there are a lot of coincidences between my life and Jade’s. After all this time of not knowing who I am, it’s scary to finally have a chance at some answers.”

Vriska nods slowly. “Damn,” she says, “That shit sucks.”

Jade laughs and shoves Vriska’s arm. “I bare my soul to you, and  _ that’s  _ how you respond?”

“Look! I already got emo about leaving Alternia and Terezi and stuff. The Vriska Sincerity Meter is maxed out for the next week; I can only make irreverent jokes and insults from here on out. Even if it wasn’t, I’m not the best with,” she waves her hand around in a vague motion, “feelings and shit. You should talk with Terezi about this, then come back to me when you need somebody punched. Well, you could also go to Terezi if you need someone punched.”

Vriska thinks for a moment, horror dawning on her. “Holy shit. Is Terezi better than me?” She shakes her head. “No! What am I thinking? Nobody is better than me. I’m literally the greatest person alive! I can handle feelings just as well as Terezi! Jade, ignore what I said earlier, tell me  _ all  _ of your deepest, grossest emotions and I will give you perfect advice.”

Despite her generous offer, Jade doesn’t say anything else about her dreams, just scoffs at Vriska. A few minutes later, Vriska hears Terezi’s voice shouting from somewhere down below.

“HELLO? VRISKA? JADE? WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GUYS DID YOU GET KIDNAPPED AGAIN?”

Jade giggles and sits up, then looks back down at Vriska. “I think that’s our cue to get going.”

Vriska sighs, long and dramatic, but stands up. She stretches toward the moon, hearing a satisfying  _ pop  _ in her back. Closing her eye, Vriska takes a deep breath and shouts at the top of her lungs, “WE’RE ALIVE, JUST WAIT ONE SEC, REZ.”

“ARE YOU ON THE GODDAMN ROOF AGAIN?”

Vriska opens her eye to pointedly roll it at Jade. “See what I deal with? Life is hard when you’re gay and also sexy.”

“I think you should stop talking to me and get down that ladder before Terezi tries to climb up here.” 

“Fine, fine.” With a fake groan, Vriska makes her way over to the ladder and begins to climb down, Jade following closely above. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter of almost entirely jadevris! This was fun to write, and I love any excuse to get into Vriska's head. Comments & Kudos always appreciated, and if you want to go the extra mile, you can talk to me about the fic at vr1srezi.tumblr.com :)


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